


Extraction Plan

by HXH_is_still_the_best



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26403373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HXH_is_still_the_best/pseuds/HXH_is_still_the_best
Summary: Years after graduating from Hope's Peak, Maki and Kaito become engaged right as Kaito leaves for space.  Now facing the prospect of marriage, Maki decides it is time to leave the cult once and for all.  She asks some of her friends to help her escape the cult and maybe even bring it down entirely.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito, Oma Kokichi/Yumeno Himiko
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	Extraction Plan

Maki could tell something was off, from the moment he entered through the door. His every mannerism, from his shuffling feet to his not-so-secret staring at her, indicated that he had something he was dying to say. He was never good at hiding things from her and he had only gotten worse after they started dating in Hopes Peak.

However, this time felt different than usual. He seemed to be experiencing conflicting emotions about the news he had. Regardless though, he clearly felt the need to get it off his chest.

Normally, she would make him cough it up and move on with her day but the way he was acting suggested to her that he needed to be the one to initiate this conversation. She decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being but, luckily, she did not have to wait long. As soon as they sat down for dinner, he spilled everything to her.

“Hey… Maki roll. I have got some great news.” He uttered those words with a massive grin on his face although he tried to avoid eye contact with her. “So, some of the people aboard the International Space Station are returning to Earth. They have been up there for a while and they need to come back down before their bodies get too weak. One of those guys is a Japanese astronaut so the JAXA has been choosing a few people to replace him and… uh… they picked me.”

Maki stopped eating immediately as that last word registered in her mind. She looked up and, for the first time since the conversation began, looked her boyfriend right in the eyes. She could see in them the incredible excitement that he was feeling but also saw a touch of nervousness.

“That’s incredible,” she responded to break the silence.

His face lit up immediately at her confirmation. “I know right! It finally happened. It is time for the Luminary of the Stars to take his rightful place amongst the heavens.” For a second, the fervor in his voice made Maki think of him as a real hero before she quickly returned to her senses.

“Unfortunately, they denied my requests to bring my sidekick along with me, but we will still be able to stay in touch virtually every day. It is a shame really. I was looking forward to showi…”

“When are you leaving?” Maki interjected.

“Uh…about a month from now. I need time to get some additional training and get clearance for any items I want to bring along after all.” His response had much less of his previous energy as he cautiously watched Maki’s reaction.

Maki now understood the conflicted emotions that she had previously observed. On one hand, she was very excited and even impressed in Kaito for accomplishing his life-long dream. She knew how much this meant to him and, as his girlfriend, she couldn’t help but feel joy for him. But, on the other hand, she knew what his trip would entail. They would be separated for several months and only be able to communicate virtually at certain times. Beyond just missing him, she feared for how his time in space would impact their relationship. She had heard from others in the past about the problems that face long-distance relationships. However, she would not let her face show this fear. She knew it would be selfish of her not to support him during this pivotal moment in his life so she swallowed her negative emotions, put on a smile, and said

“Well, then we better start getting ready for your trip. I need to make sure you can take care of yourself up there.”

Kaito laughed and rebutted, “Don’t worry about me. I have prepared my whole life for this trip. I will be ready.”

One Month Later

As Maki rounds the corner to the launch point, she can finally see the rocket that will be taking Kaito to space. She parks the car and gets ready to say her goodbyes. If she was being honest to herself, her biggest fear was not of missing Kaito or even something going wrong during the launch (Kaito had convinced her that the entire operation was safe multiple times). Instead, she was afraid that while he was up there Kaito would realize that he can do better than her. They had been together for three years now and the whole-time Maki was afraid of the moment he would leave her behind. And now that they would be separated for six months, she worried he would finally recognize that he cannot continue his life with a murderer like her.

But she had to bury those emotions for now and send him off with a smile and words of good luck. She helped to carry out the luggage he had brought with him and was about to hand him his backpack when he quickly grabbed it before she could get it. He looked a little nervous and she began to ponder his reaction but decided it was probably just him wanting to take charge before he leaves. They walked towards the site and she began saying goodbye to him when he stopped dead in his tracks and reached into his bag.

“What are you doing idiot? Do you want to be late for your big dream?” Maki said, slightly annoyed.

Kaito did not respond at first looking at something in his hands before hiding it behind his back and turning to her. “Maki, I want you to know that I am going to miss you a lot on this mission.”

Surprised and a little flustered, Maki meekly responded, “Yeah…I am going to miss you too.”

Kaito stared for a second and then responded, “You have supported me for all these years, even when I was admittedly acting immaturely. You were a bit cold at first, but as we continued to talk, you opened up to me in a way I can never forget. Sticking with you in Hope’s Peak is my most proud accomplishment.”

Maki, now even more embarrassed, could only respond with, “Why are you saying things like that now of all times? Do you want to die?”

Kaito laughed it off and continued. “I just wanted you to know that you have been the best sidekick I could ever ask for. But, I was thinking maybe you could be something more.” Maki watched him bring his hands forward with the mysterious item in hand and take a knee. Her eyes opened widely and she forgot how to breathe when she realized what he was doing.

He opened his hands to reveal a box. Inside the box was a red ring with a silver band. “Maki roll, will you please be my partner amongst the stars and marry me?”

It took Maki a second to realize that she was crying. Nothing about this situation made sense to her. She was a criminal. A murderer. She had no future. Kaito may have seemed dumb sometimes but he was smart enough to realize that. Plus, he was an astronaut. He could live his life successfully with hundreds of other women. Yet here he was, on his knee proposing to her.

“Are you sure?” Those were the only words Maki could muster.

“Surer than any other decision I have ever made,” Kaito responded intensely.

Maki’s face was beet redder than her clothes. Her eyes were crying more now than any of her nights of training with the cult. Her throat felt dry and her mind was still in disarray. Yet, through all the chaos. She managed to say, “Yes.”

Kaito shot up and lifted her in a massive bear hug. He peppered her face with small kisses before saying, “You won’t regret it. Just wait. The Luminary of the Stars will be the light of your life!”

After he put Maki down he checked his watch and looked shocked. “Oh sorry, I am actually going to be late.” He quickly pulled the ring out of the box and placed it over Maki’s finger before giving her one final kiss and leaving.

For 5 minutes, Maki just stood there, taking every detail about the situation in. She was shocked, she was nervous, but above all she was happy. It was if the weight of the world had been lifted off of her shoulders. She now knew that she would, finally, have someone who would always stand by her. Her dread for the moment Kaito would leave her was gone and now all she could think about was the new future that lay ahead of her.

There was just one problem. The cult. The source of all of the trouble in her life. If Maki wanted to live the rest of her life freely with Kaito, she knew she would have to escape the cult. She wondered to herself if it was even possible. After all, they had complete control of her life and have enough dirt on her to keep her from saying anything to law enforcement. Then, there was the orphanage. Even if she did get out, what would happen to the children there? They relied on the cult’s donations and without them, the children living there would be a terrible position. The more she thought about it, the slimmer her chances of escape seemed. She had taken out plenty of people over the years but this was too much even for her.

Maybe… maybe this engagement was a bad idea. In hindsight, she felt like a fool for imagining for even a moment that she could live a fulfilling life. She would have to tell Kaito that she cannot marry him, not because she does not want to but because she cannot bring him down with her. After all, she knew she would part ways with him eventually, I guess this was the t...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of liftoff. She suddenly whipped around to see the ship carry Kaito into the sky. She wondered what he was thinking in there. It had always been his dream to go to space and now it was finally happening. That must feel amazing. Maki did not want to ruin it for him. She could not ruin this great day.

If Kaito can make his dreams come true, surely, she can too, right? Now is no time to be quitting. Now is the time to face her problems head-on. She knows that is what Kaito would do, so it is what she will do. She turned back towards her car with new determination. As she walked back to her car, she withdrew her phone to call some friends.

Maki opened the door to her apartment the second she heard the knock. Ever since she had returned home she had been waiting anxiously for her friends to arrive and now that they were here she was not going to waste any time. At least, she wasn’t planning on it until her closest friend shot from the door with a hug.

“Maki! It is so good to see you! We haven’t gotten together in months.” Kaede was just as energetic as always. Even Maki had some trouble escaping from her bear hug. While she attempted to wriggle free, Maki heard the voice of her second friend.

“Harukawa-san, it is a pleasure to see you again.” Maki looked over at Shuichi and was relieved to see that he was just as timid as he was the last time they were all together. “Although, I am curious about why you called us both here on such short notice and your tone of voice when you called us seemed to suggest something was urgent. Is there a problem?”

Having just wrestled her way free of Kaede, Maki stepped back and gave them both a cautious head tilt towards her couch. “You should both take a seat.” Shuichi’s face turned from warmth to his inquisitive detective look and even Kaede seemed a bit concerned.

“So Kaito left for the International Space Station today,” Maki started.

“Yeah, he called us to say goodbye before the trip yesterday. He also apologized that he could not bring me to space with him.” Shuichi had a small smirk on his face as he held back a laugh at the memory. He then returned to his detective face and asked, “Did something happen to his launch?”

“No, the launch was great. He left on time and is in orbit right now. I called you here because of what happened before the launch.”

Shuichi and Kaede leaned forward in their seats in anticipation and Maki felt a strong sense of embarrassment about what she was about to reveal. Taking a deep breath, she said…

“Kaito proposed to me and I accepted.”

The couple sat there for a second as they took in the information. But as soon as it all clicked, Kaede shot out of her seat and grabbed Maki’s hand.

“That is amazing! I knew he was going to do it eventually and I am so happy for you two.” Kaede was bouncing up and down while holding Maki’s hand. “Wait, do you have a ring? Let me see it.” Maki shyly removed the ring from her pocket and showed it to Kaede. “Ohhh, it’s beautiful! Red really is your color. Ahh, it reminds me of when Shuichi proposed. Oooh, this is so great, right Shuichi?” Kaede turned her head to face her husband who was still in his seat with his chin in his hand and a look of deep thought on his face.

“Oh uh … yeah, it’s amazing! It is great that you will be happy together.” He gave her a congratulatory smile but quickly switched back to his investigation face. “However, there is more you want to tell us, isn’t there?”

Maki sighed. She did not want to spoil the mood but she knew that the topic needed to be addressed. “I need your help. Both of you. Kaito will be back in six months. By then… I want to have escaped the cult.”

Her words hung in the air for a second. Kaede’s expression went from thrilled to worried and Shuichi looked surprised by Maki’s response. A few more seconds passed before Kaede broke the silence, “Of course we will help you. You can count on us.” She pumped her fist into the air with a determined gleam in her eye. Shuichi, however, seemed less energetic.

“I will help you as much as I can, but first I need you to tell me everything you can about this cult.” His seriousness was evident in his voice. He pulled out his pen and notepad and gestured for Maki to speak. Maki swallowed before telling them everything she knew.

After a long talk, filled with traumatic stories from Maki, looks of horror and pity from Kaede, and the sound of pen on paper from Shuichi, Maki had conveyed everything she knew about the cult. “So.. what can you do with that?” Shuichi was noticeably frustrated and Maki’s question only seemed to further his discomfort.

“Well… I have enough evidence to put them away definitely but all of that evidence would lead to you being incarcerated as well. I would need evidence of their misdeeds that does not directly involve you. Unfortunately, I cannot get that evidence without raiding one of their sights and I can’t do THAT unless you testify against them. If we did manage to shut them down, the government would confiscate their assets so we cannot help the orphanage. Worse yet, they have enough proof of your… missions to easily pull you down with them so even if I did have the right evidence you would not be in the clear.”

Shuichi’s analysis hit Maki like a truck. She knew it was a long shot but she did not have any other options. Now her only option left would be to completely wipe out the cult and she had no idea how she would accomplish that. Her deep thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. Maki looked up to see Kaede looking at her comfortingly.

“Don’t worry, we can still do this. We just need to keep trying. I promise we will help you get out of this mess.” The words were cliché but they were a wave of relief for Maki. That’s right! She will escape the cult because she is not alone anymore. They just needed a plan.

She looked back at Shuichi who was clearly contemplating something. She was about to ask what it was when he spoke up. “Actually, there is one person that could probably help fix this situation but umm… it will be tricky.” Before Maki could ask whom he was referring to, the answer popped into her head.

“No way! We are not thinking of the same person right. There has to be another way, right?” Maki pleaded with Shuichi for another option but the more she thought about it, the more she agreed with his deduction.

“Look, I know he can be… ‘difficult’ but if anyone would know how to get out of this situation, it would be him. Also, I’m sure we can get him to agree. His methods may be extra-legal but I am willing to let that slide this time. So, do you want to get his help?”

Maki sighed for what felt like the millionth time today and nodded her head slowly. She dreaded what was about to happen but she would bear it if it meant ensuring her future with Kaito.

The three arrived outside of an abandoned bowling alley. Maki turned to Shuichi and asked, “You sure he is here?” “Yep, I figured out his group’s hideout a few months back when I was investigating a spree of pranks in this area.” Maki facepalmed after hearing about the recent antics of the person on whom she would soon be relying. “Well, let’s get this over with?”

Maki gave the front door a hard knock, loud enough that it startled Kaede and Shuichi. The door creaked open a few centimeters and on the other side was a fat man in a white suit wearing a clown mask. “What is the password?” he asked in a deep voice. Maki quickly crammed her foot in the door’s opening before saying, “Tell your brat to get out here right now.”

The fat man looked frightened before quickly opening the door. “Supreme leader,” he shouted, “You have some visitors.” The three walked into the building and quickly saw renovations that had been made to the building. The walls were painted a light purple, cheap decorations hung from the ceiling, and large boxes littered the area, each of them bearing the name of a tool for pranking. Most significantly, the wall above the abandoned bowling lanes now held the colorful logo for the group, D.I.C.E. They soon saw other men and women dressed similarly to the first man come out from doors or behind boxes. Some of them were snickering at their new guests while others appeared threatened by Maki’s presence. In less than a minute, the man they were looking for walked out.

“Ohhhh, who do we have here? Is that you, Maki? Are you here to kill me? Sorry, but I am a bit busy right now so come again tomorrow.” Standing in front of the trio was the former Ultimate Supreme Leader, Kokichi Ouma. He had grown a few inches since Maki last saw him but it appeared that was the only part of him that matured. His trademark evil smirk still adorned his face and he was once again dressed up like a cartoon supervillain, complete with a black cape and military cap. “Oh, and who is that behind you? My dear Shuichi, have you finally accepted my offer to join my secret evil organization? Well, you are a little late but if you can show your loyalty we might let you join. You should start by cutting off your pinky.”

“Shut up, you runt! We have something important to discuss and I don’t have time for your antics,” Maki interrupted with a deadly glare. Kokichi did not seem bothered by Maki’s response and kept talking. “Kaede, I almost missed you there. Look, I know you sheltered me from my enemies a while back, but you cannot just barge in here. What if you were followed, you clumsy piano freak?”

Kaede looked taken aback before responding. “Hey, don’t call me that. And stop with your lies, this is serious.” Kokichi ignored her too and started running around the building to get more D.I.C.E. members to join. “Everybody,” he shouted, “come look, we have some guests that want to help us in our evil plans. We even have a bloodthirsty killer here to…”

He was cut off mid-sentence as Maki caught him and lifted him up by his scarf. “Do you want to die?” she uttered in her coldest voice. The other members of D.I.C.E. watching started to cautiously surround her as if planning to intervene. Some of them were even brandishing improvised weapons. Shuichi was worried about a fight breaking out until a new voice entered the room.

“Nyeh… what is with all the noise? I am trying to sleep in here?” Standing in the doorframe of a makeshift bedroom was a familiar redhead in her pajamas. As she looked at the situation, her eyes suddenly shot up and a bright smile grew on her face. “Kaede! Shuichi! Maki! What are you guys doing here?” Himiko ran over to give her former classmates hugs when she was stopped by the sight of Maki holding up Kokichi. “Oh boy, what did he do this time?” she asked with tired annoyance in her voice.

“Himi…ugh…perfect timing. Quick, use your…ack…magic to get us out of here,” Kokichi pleaded between gasps for air. “Oh, so now you believe in my magic huh? Well too bad, I don’t feel like wasting the MP right now,” she retorted. Himiko then turned to Maki and asked, “Sorry, but could you let Kichi down. Don’t worry I will stop him from getting away.”

Maki nodded and then slowly let Kokichi down onto the ground. He then quickly jumped back to his fellow D.I.C.E members who helped him fix his now crooked scarf. “I cannot believe you are still dating this rat, Himiko. Don’t you think you can do better?” Maki asked.

“I really don’t know why either,” Himiko replied exhaustedly, “But anyways, why are you guys here?” Himiko gave Kokichi a stern look. “Do I need to cast an all-your-drinks-will-be-warm curse on him?”

Shuichi interjected, “No, actually we need Kokichi’s help for something important.”

“Sorry, but an evil dictator like myself cannot waste his time with your petty problems. Unless of course, you would be willing to…” Kokichi stopped talking when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Himiko giving him one of her wounded puppy faces. “Come on Kichi, here them out. This is probably serious. Please help them out, for me.”

Kokichi whipped around and coughed into his scarf for a few minutes before turning back to face everyone. “Ok, by the queen’s behest, I will listen to your request.”

Maki and Shuichi conveyed the whole situation to Kokichi and Himiko. Himiko congratulated Maki on the proposal but started consoling her when she learned about the larger situation. Kokichi on the other hand started off mockingly but gradually grew strangely silent as the story unfolded.

“So that is the problem. Trust me you were the last person I wanted to ask for help but you are the only person I know that can help with this.” Maki looked sad after relaying her position but still was deathly serious with Kokichi.

Kokichi stayed silent for a few minutes, thinking, before finally responding, “You really want to quit, right? To take down your assassin group? To stop killing?” His tone lacked his usual teasing and sounded uncharacteristically sincere.

Maki responded, “Yes. I have wanted to for years but now I really need to. So, will you help me? …please?”

Kokichi was clearly surprised by the vulnerability in Maki’s voice but was even more shocked when she said please. He returned to his silence for a minute. Everyone in the room was quietly watching him. Eventually, a mischievous smirk grew on his face before standing up. “Deal. I have just the plan to fix this situation. Although it will require all of you plus some backup.”

Maki’s eyes burned with determination as she responded, “Then let’s get this done.” She turned to face Shuichi, Kaede, and Himiko. “Will you all help me out with this?”

“Of course!” they all responded in unison.

Kokichi looked incredibly excited as he looked at his former classmates. He then turned to face the members of D.I.C.E. before saying, “D.I.C.E. prepare yourselves. We are going to war.”

Two weeks had passed since Kokichi proudly declared that he had a plan. However, despite her best efforts, Maki could not get Kokichi to explain to her exactly what the plan was. He had told everyone else, Shuichi, Kaede, Himiko, and his masked goons, but had deliberately left her in the dark. She, of course, protested at first but when Shuichi told her that it was in her best interest to not know the plan, she calmed down. Kaede also reassured her that the plan would work and that there was no reason to worry. The reassurance of her trusted friends helped ease her concern, but she still was uneasy trusting Kokichi. She was sure he had an alternative motive, she just was not sure what it was. Fun? Even for Kokichi, this seemed too dangerous of a scenario to attempt to turn into a game. Growing his organization? He might be childish, but he wasn’t an idiot. He must realize that once the cult goes down there will be nothing to salvage for himself? Benevolence? That was the least likely option of all.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she spotted her target. Mr. Kishio, a rising member in a gang that threatened the cult’s influence. She was waiting outside the bar he frequented. The moon was full tonight which only made it harder to keep Kaito out of her head. The man exited the bar in an expensive black suit and bowler hat. She had killed men like him dozens of times before. He was not very muscular and did not appear to be armed, so the assassination should not be a problem. In many ways, it was just another ordinary job for her. Except for one thing, this could be her last.

From the little she knew of the plan, she knew it was going to be executed in a few days. It was one of the only pieces of information they could not keep from her because they needed to know when the cult leaders met. If everything went right, she would be free by the end of the week. The thought alone made her anxious but she pushed it to the back of her head to focus on the present. She followed the man from a distance, confident that he had not noticed her. She readied her knife as he continued walking. As soon as the man walked in front of an alleyway she pounced. She threw him into the dark alley and pinned his legs beneath her own. He laid down face-up and Maki quickly placed her knife on his neck.

“Wait, please have mercy!”

She stopped her movements, her knife ready at any moment to take his life. She had killed many before without letting them speak, but this time felt different. Maybe it was her hope for freedom or maybe it was her clouded mind, but this time she let him speak.

“I’m sorry about this. It is nothing personal, this is just my job.”

“Please! Please! Whatever you are being paid, I will double it!”

Maki was starting to get annoyed now. She figured she would let him get some last words in and then head home. “Money is not the issue. Sorry, but it has to be done.”

She tightened her grip on the knife and got ready to slice when she saw it. A familiar-looking box by the man’s left pocket. It must have fallen out when she tackled him. With just a glance at the box, she already had a pretty good idea of what was inside it.

“What is that?” She nodded her head toward the box. The man followed her eyes and looked down at the box. A strong look of pain came over his face.

“Whatever you do, please don’t take that box. You can have everything else on me, but please don’t touch that.”

Maki pressed her knife further into the man’s skin. She noticed her heart was beating much faster now. “What is in the box?” she asked already knowing the answer. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw moonlight reflect off something inside the box.

“I have a girlfriend,” the man started. Maki’s eyes shot back to him. “She is better than I deserve. She accepted me for me, even with my connections to the gang. I want to start a life with her, away from the gang. She is waiting back at her house for me to arrive. Please, I was going to propose tonight.”

Those last words resonated in Maki’s head. She looked down at her target and, for the first time in a long time, she saw a man. He was scared, hurt, and regretful. He had a life, a family, and a future. Her training had allowed her to repress her empathy, to treat her targets as nothing more than walking dummies. But now, she could not stop herself from feeling pity for him.

She removed her knife from his throat and pointed it straight at his face. “Swear to me that after tonight you will cease all operations with your gang and leave this area. If you lie to me, I will know and I won’t hesitate next time. So, swear it!”

The man remained paralyzed in shock for a minute before vigorously nodding his head. “Yes, I swear.”

With that Maki, stood up and let the man rise. She knew that, if she failed this mission, the cult would have questions so she needed to fake his death. With a swift movement, she slashed the man across his side, deep enough to draw blood but not deep enough to leave a scar. Then, Maki reached down, picked up the box, and handed it to him. She left him with the words, “Make this the best day of her life.”

As Maki headed home, she pulled out her phone and called her new partner. When Kokichi answered, she told him, “Your plan better work.”

The leaders of the Holy Salvation Society did not all meet very often. They were usually all at different locations, spreading their message in their own ways. However, once every few months, they met together to organize their actions moving forward. Today was one of those days.

The five heads of the group sat at a round table in a locked room in the heart of their main site. They had made many enemies over the years so there were many safeguards in place for whenever they met. The door was locked with the most expensive mechanical lock they could afford. The door was then guarded by two armed guards that would radio for backup at the slightest hint that something was wrong. Finally, the room was in a part of the site that only the group’s best assassins had ever stepped foot inside. The chance of someone penetrating their defenses was close to zero.

Their conversation was going well. The group’s influence was growing faster than ever and soon they would have no more local competition for their affairs. The few gangs that still opposed them would soon fall and they were gaining more leverage by the day. Everything was going perfectly until the room’s lights suddenly shut off.

Darkness encompassed the room. Despite being only inches apart, the leaders had trouble making out the figure of each other. What they could make out, however, was a loud thud right outside the door. The leaders quickly pulled out their phones to send an alert to the rest of the site, but they quickly noticed that, somehow, none of them were getting any connection. They did not have any time to ponder what was going on because the lights in the room started to turn back on. The room was still very dark but they could now make out the appearances of each other. They could also make out the appearance of a new figure at the end of the table.

The light over the figure brightened up to better reveal it. It was a young boy dressed up in what looked like military garb with a black and white checkered scarf around his neck. His skin was as pale as a ghost and he looked no older than fifteen. His most distinctive feature, however, was his wide, sinister grin.

“Hello, peasants. I have come with good news. My organization plans on incorporating your cult into our operations. Please, feel free to celebrate.”

The leaders blinked for a second as they took in the situation. The one at the far side of the table was the first to break the silence. “Who the hell are you? How did you get in here?” He gave the boy a menacing look and quickly stood up from his chair.

“Atatata…” The boy gestured his hand forward. From the darkness behind him emerged two more figures. Despite being mostly obscured, their general outlines could be made out. To the boy’s left was a mountain of a man, easily over six feet and covered head to toe in muscle. To the boy’s right was a shorter man whose face seemed to reflect the little light in the room abnormally. Both men were wearing white clown masks and dressed in white clothes that looked like straitjackets. The man on the far side of the table quickly shot the boy a frustrated scowl and sat back down.

“What do you want?” another man asked.

“I already said it stupidhead. Listen better next time. I want your cult or whatever you want to call it.”

“It is not for sale,” the same man responded. The tension in the room was suffocating. All the leaders were on edge yet the boy seemed perfectly calm.

“Oh silly, I am not buying it. I am acquiring for the sake of our mutual success. You see my organization is quite strong. I have people all over the world under my boot. One thing we are missing though is firepower. That is where you come in. You will join my organization and your assassins will work for me now. You can still continue your little crusade but when I call you will help me out.”

“And if we refuse?” the first man asked.

“Well, then you would pose a major threat to my interests in this country and you would need to be… ‘forcefully’ removed.”

“You’re bluffing.” said the second man, clearly uneasy.

“Why would I do that? We’ve done it before.” The boy flashed a menacing look that sent a cold shiver down the spines of the men. He then slid a piece of paper across the table. It was a photo of a short man dressed in a white suit with the same checkered scarf as the boy. The leaders recognized him immediately. Killer Tennis.

“ARE YOU SHITTING ME? DO YOU THINK YOU CAN COME IN HERE AND ORDER US AROUND LIKE PUPPETS?” shouted another leader who had remained quiet until now. “WELL, I AM HAVING NONE OF IT!” He pulled a gun from his pocket and aimed it right at the boy before firing.

PING

The bodyguard to the boy’s right had moved in front of the bullet faster than the other could react. The bullet ricocheted off his back and into the ceiling. A second later and the boy’s attempted killer was disarmed and pinned uncomfortably to the table. Holding him down was a new figure, wearing all black and with proportions resembling a woman. The other leaders swore they could hear the figure quietly utter “degenerate.”

Without missing a beat the boy continued. “Now if we may return to before I was so rudely interrupted. I believe that joining my evil organization would prove beneficial to everyone here. I would get some of the world’s best assassins under my command and you would have a helpful ally to keep the law off your back. So, what do you say?”

The first man spoke up again, “What do you need from us?” He was clearly still upset but was remaining calm after watching what had happened to his friend a moment earlier.

“Great question. I just need the files on your assassins. All of them. No copies, the originals. Also, I want some files on people you have killed. You know a ‘Greatest Hits’ collection. Impress me.”

An audible sigh left the first man’s mouth before responding with simply, “Fine.”

“What are you doing? We can’t just surrender control to this… this brat,” interjected another leader who had only made grunts and mumbles since this situation started.

“We have no other choice. If we say no, he will probably kill us now and do who knows what to the society. Am I right?” The first man looked the boy dead in the eyes.

The boy smiled his most nefarious grin yet. “Of course.”

The first man gestured towards one of his fellow leaders. The leader pulled a laptop out of a bag he had and started pulling up the desired files. He then loaded them on a flash drive and slid it over to the boy.

The boy picked up the flash drive, examined it for a second, and said, “Pleasure doing business with you.”

A moment later and the lights had turned back off. They came back a few seconds after revealing the boy and all of his henchmen to be gone without a trace.

Maki had been waiting for news on the mission all day. She could not think of a single time in her entire life that she was this anxious. Did it succeed? Is she free? Or did something go wrong and now her situation is even worse? These thoughts were swimming through her head unceasingly when her phone rang. It was Kaede. Maki begins asking a million questions but Kaede cuts her off.

“Okay, calm down. Just come to the D.I.C.E. hideout and we will explain everything.” 

Kaede hung up, leaving Maki dazed and confused. Why was she being so cryptic? Did something happen? Maki left her apartment with even more questions now.

When Maki arrived, she noticed far more cars than she was expecting. Just from a quick glance around she saw: a dirty Jeep that was clearly meant for off-road trips, a pristinely polished limousine, and a truck that appeared to have a rocket-engine installed in the back. Had she not been so preoccupied with her own thoughts, she probably could have guessed to whom they belonged.

She knocked on the door but was met with silence. A quick test of the handle proved it to be open. She slowly and cautiously opened the door. It was completely dark inside. At once, all of her trained instincts told her that she was surrounded. Whoever was with her in the room was unclear, but she sensed that they were trying to stay undetected, probably for an ambush. She was about to retreat through the door when…

“SURPRISE!” The light turned on revealing the crowd watching her. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she was baffled by what she saw. Her former classmates were here. Maki, of course, suspected Shuichi, Kaede, Kokichi, and Himiko, but a quick survey of the room and she saw all of her former classmates. Another glance upwards and she saw the hanging banner, “Happy Retirement!”

She knew what the poster was suggesting but first she needed to confirm it for herself. She looked Shuichi dead in the eyes and asked, “Did you do it?” Shuichi walked up to her with a flash drive in his hand. He handed it to her and responded, “On there is all of the evidence the cult had on you as well as more than enough information to bring them down. I am currently in the process of arranging evidence against them but I will need a little more help from you. But otherwise, you’re free.”

Maki once again found herself inexplicably crying. She turned away from the group and rubbed her eyes to fight back the tears. She heard Kaede snicker happily and a very deep sigh from Ryoma. As Maki took in all the information, she felt as if a massive set of chains had finally been shattered. For the first time in many years, her future was truly filled with hope. After all of her suffering, she now saw the light at the end of her tunnel and he was smiling his usual stupid grin.

Once she had settled herself down again, she looked towards Kokichi in the crowd. He had caused her plenty of trouble over the years and she still would not consider themselves friends, but at this moment she was truly grateful to him. “Thank you,” she said to him, expecting to be teased. Instead, she received a smile of childish glee and a nod with a touch of warmth in his eyes.

Now that all was said and done, the plan was finally explained to Maki. Kokichi’s “backup” had actually been all the other members of their class. He had decided that it would take all of their talents combined to take down the cult and set Maki free for good. Fortunately, they all happily agreed.

First, Maki gave them all the information she could about when and where the leaders meet. Once they had a set time and place, they started the preparations for the infiltration. Tsumugi and Angie worked together to make outfits for everyone who was going to enter the site as well as one for Ryoma. Ryoma, begrudgingly, wore the outfit in order to fake allegiance to the organization as a fear tactic.

On the day of the mission, Kokichi and Himiko snuck themselves as well as Gonta, Kaito, and Tenko into the cult. Kokichi, Gonta, and Kiibo all wore specially designed D.I.C.E. uniforms as well as makeup to make themselves look more intimidating. Himiko and Tenko wore matching black bodysuits, much to Tenko’s pleasure, to blend into the darkness. Once the meeting started, Kiibo and Tenko quickly incapacitated the guards outside the door before Kokichi took control of the building’s power and jammed all communication using one of Miu’s inventions.

After sneaking into the room when the lights were out, the plan was just intimidation and, what Kokichi does best, lying. Kokichi also had taken a few pointers from Korekiyo about how to seem intimidating and otherworldly. Kokichi had prepared a script but also ad-libbed some lines to appear more menacing. Just like they had planned, the cult leaders bought the charade.

Which brings us back to the present. Shuichi claims that the reason the plan was hidden from Maki was so that she would not object or interfere. It was very risky and they knew Maki would be uneasy about putting her classmates in harm’s way. Maki also suspects that Kokichi wanted to be mysterious but she kept this thought to herself.

In other news, Kaede was holding a fundraising concert for Maki’s orphanage and Rantaro was making a sizable donation himself. Kirumi even volunteered to help out at the orphanage for a little while, which made Maki confident the kids would be in good hands for a while. It really seemed that everything was coming together. There was just one thing left.

“Maki, I will need your help when I am compiling the evidence. I want to make sure I have everything right and avoid excluding anything vital.” Shuichi now held in his hands a stack of papers, the printed contents of that flash drive. Maki was slightly annoyed by the paperwork she would likely have to do, but it only lasted a moment. She knew it was important to do her part to finish the cult once and for all. “Also,” Shuichi continued, “we collected the names of all the other assassins that work Holy Salvation Society and I was hoping you could give me more info on them. Many of them were probably in a very similar circumstance to you and I would hate to see them be put away. So, I was hoping you could give me some pointers on who to omit from the report.”

Maki thought back to her time at the cult and all the other people she had met there. She had never made friends with any of them and did not know any of them well, but she knew some of them did not take any joy in their jobs either. She gave Shuichi a strong nod and said, “Of course. But for now, let’s enjoy the party.”

The party was an amazing experience for Maki. She enjoyed catching up with her old friends and trying the delicious food that Kirumi had prepared. Maki was so ecstatic that, for once, she did not bother hiding her joy from the others. Throughout the room, former classmates were talking with each other, whether it be gossip, telling jokes, or arguing. The familiar din made Maki feel like she was right where she belonged.

“Himiko, I cannot believe you are still hanging around that degenerate. I mean why HIM of all people.”

“Well, he is fun and extravagant. Sure, his lies and jokes can get really annoying, but he still cares and never goes too far.”

“Amami, Gonta hears you are going to Amazon in a few days. Gonta no mean to sound selfish, but can Gonta come with you? Gonta wants to meet all the bugs that live there.”

“Sure thing, Gonta I could probably use a big guy like you anyway. It would be nice to have someone I can trust out there.”

“Ryoma, I believe your birthday is coming up, is that correct?”

“Yeah, why? I hope you were not planning on wasting it with me.”

“Oh, come now, it is more than just a birthday, it is also a celebration of your final charges being dropped. Even if you do not wish it, it is my duty to ensure your comfort on such an occasion.”

“Heh, do whatever you like. I won’t stop you.”

“Damn it, just let me take another look. It has been ages since I tinkered with your circuitry. You must be feeling backed up and it would be my pleasure to loosen up your body.”

“Miu, no! I have been getting regular maintenance done. Also, I do not trust you after our last ‘checkup’.”

“What’s wrong Kaede? You have been acting off for the whole party. Did you eat something funny?”

“No… it’s not that Shuichi. I have just been feeling a little nauseous since this morning and I am a little tired. Maybe we should head back soon. But before we go, I need to ask Kirumi about those pretzels. I have had a strong salt craving recently.”

As the party drew to a close and the classmates went their separate ways, Maki prepared to leave herself. Before leaving she thanked Kirumi again for her help and walked over to say goodbye to Kaede and Shuichi.

“It was great seeing you guys again. I hope we meet up sometime soon.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, after all, I expect you plan on inviting us to your wedding?”

Maki played with her hair while trying to hide her flustered appearance before responding with, “Yeah, sure… But, Kaede, is there anything I need to know before I… you know… marry Kaito.” She especially struggled with those last two words. On any other day, this conversation would have felt absurd, but now it felt appropriate.

Kaede had a glimmer in her at being asked the question. She took a minute to think about her response before passionately answering, “You are going to learn a lot more than you ever thought you could learn about your significant other. It won’t always be good stuff. Sometimes, you learn they have troubling habits or make weird demands. It can seem scary at first as if you married someone you know nothing about. But trust me, soon these new features will make you fall in love with them all over again.”

To Maki, the speech was everything she had wanted to hear. She felt a strong warmth fill her body. Her mind raced with anticipation. She was so preoccupied with her own mind that she did not notice the blushing mess that had become Shuichi’s face.

As Maki left the building and got in her car, she thought to herself, “The impossible is possible. All you gotta do is make it so.”

“This just in, the Public Security Intelligence Agency has arrested hundreds of members of a religious group calling itself the Holy Salvation Society. The group is suspected to be involved in numerous murders of rival gangs and politicians over the last decade. Evidence against the group was put forward by former Ultimate Detective Shu…”

The TV blinked off and the man holding the remote turned to his accomplice. “So, we did it, the cult is gone, Maki is safe, and I am being praised for my investigation skills once again.”

“Congratulations, Shuichi I am sure that all of that praise is going right to your head. You totally deserve all the respect and recognition for busting this big case. But we both know that is a lie.” Kokichi was sat down in his favorite throne, befitting a supreme leader such as himself.

“Which is why I’m here. I have a few questions for you.” Shuichi had met up with Kokichi at his hideout once again. However, this time he requested no one else be present when they talked. He did not want any distractions and most importantly did not want anything vital leaked.

“Fire away Shumai.” Kokichi cackled.

“What do you gain from all this? Of all the people involved, you put yourself most at risk but appear to have the least to gain, so tell me why did you help us out?”

Kokichi playfully pouted in response. “W-what? You d-don’t believe I would do this out of the kindness of my heart? WAAAAHHHHH, YOU’RE SO MEAN!” Crocodile tears rolled out of Kokichi’s eyes before vanishing as quickly as they came.

“I don’t have all day. Please, I need to know if I can trust you after all of this. I need to know for sure that you did not take advantage of the situation to take something for yourself.” Shuichi’s clear frustration was evident in his voice. But his heart almost skipped a beat when he saw Kokichi’s glare on him.

“Oh? And what are you implying I took for myself?”

Nervously, Shuichi said, “Money, technology, blackmail on assassins…”

Shuichi was cut short by Kokichi jolting up from his seat and responding through gritted teeth. “Don’t you dare compare me to those murderers. I may be an evil supreme leader but I have standards. The only thing I want from a piece of shit cult like that is to watch them all go down.” Kokichi slowly turned back and sat back on his throne.

“Fine, then tell me, honestly. No lies this time. Why did you help us?”

The room was quiet for a few seconds, the tension palpable. The detective and supreme leader looked each other dead in the eye neither backing down. Eventually, Kokichi sighed and responded, “Fine fine. You win. There were three main reasons I helped out. One, I did honestly care about Maki’s situation. I always hated her talent and thought that she was too weak to break free from her past. But when I saw her making an effort to leave it behind, even coming to me in the process, I knew I could not turn her away.”

A look of pleasant surprise grew on Shuichi’s face before his natural interrogation face returned. He nodded for Kokichi to continue.

Two, it seemed like fun. D.I.C.E. has been really slow lately since Himi started doing shows in the area. We did not want to get her involved in any of our pranks and negatively affect her career. So, I was bored and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to cut loose and use some of the skills I have been acquiring over the years.”

Shuichi’s face was now scrunched as he hung on to every word that left the man’s mouth. He could never be sure if the leader was lying or not but he wanted to believe what he was saying. His reasons almost sounded too good to be true. Which is why he was anxious about the third reason.

“Three, it helps me kick start my grand plan.”

Shuichi was puzzled. “Grand plan?”

“Exactly. You see I am looking to grow D.I.C.E. beyond our current operations into something more… global. Every day, all over the world, pieces of shit exploit the weak and control the strong to get what they want. We here at D.I.C.E. want to do something about it. And that is where you come in.”

“Me?” Shuichi stumbled back a step at hearing that last sentence. From all the possible answers to his question, Shuichi never suspected he would come up in any of them. “Oh no, I am not getting involved in any of your antics. I have a job, a wife, and a kid on the way. I cannot afford to get caught up with you.”

“Oh, but you will and you want to know why? Because you always crave the truth and justice. That is why you became a detective right? You know it felt good to put those killers away even if it was a bit extra-legal. So here is my proposition. We will go throughout Japan and the rest of the world taking down whoever we feel deserves it and then we give the evidence to you and you put them away. Sound good?”

Shuichi stood there in bafflement for a few minutes. He took in all of the information of the scenario and considered it all before responding with, “Promise me that you have good intentions and that this won’t end in a disaster.”

Kokichi returned to his smug grin before reaching out his hand and shaking Shuichi’s. “Promise..”

Maki waited outside the space station as she saw the shuttle standing triumphantly back on the launch pad. It had been six months since Kaito left to stay on the ISS. Six months since she had last seen him in person. Six months since he proposed.

During that time, a lot had happened. The cult was arrested and found guilty for dozens of murderers as well as a plethora of other crimes. She and some of the other assassins had managed to escape prosecution with Shuichi’s help. Speaking of Shuichi, he apparently had gotten a big promotion after busting the cult and would be working with the Superintendent General moving forward. Maki congratulated him on the position, but he did not seem very excited about the ordeal. It was actually quite timely that he got promoted because just a week prior he and Kaede announced that she was pregnant. Although Maki was happy for her friends, she did not look forward to inevitably babysitting their kid in a few years. What scared her more though, was the fact that she would need to broach the subject of children with Kaito.

Which brings her back to now, after six months of life in space, Kaito had to stay for a few days at the station to get readjusted to Earth but he was finally ready to return home. Maki tried her best to hide the whirlwind of emotions that was running amok in her. She was, of course, happy to see Kaito again and tell him about the cult but she also knew that there were still things that needed to be worked out between them.

She waited until she saw the glass doors to the station slide aside and out walked Kaito. She waved to get his attention and, the second he locked eyes with her, he bolted in her direction. Despite supposedly having just learned how to walk again, Kaito seemed quicker than ever and closed the distance in no time. He wrapped her in a bear hug and lifted her up over his shoulders.

“Maki roll. I missed you so much!” he bellowed loud enough to be heard inside the building. “How is my heroic partner doing?”

On any other day, Maki would probably chop Kaito in the neck to get him to put her down, but today she was feeling sentimental. She waited for him to put her down before responding. “Good to see you too, Kaito. How are you feeling?”

“Better than ever! My time in space may be over for now, but soon the Luminary of the Stars will go farther than any man has gone before!”

Maki visibly pouted when he started talking about leaving again. Kaito must have noticed because he quickly followed up with, “Oh, but don’t worry. I will be staying down here for at least a few years. Plenty of time to prepare for the greatest wedding the universe has ever seen.”

His eyes were full of life and he spoke with such familiar confidence that Maki was able to resist the urge to hit him for talking about something like that in public. “Well, um… before that, there is something we need to talk about. Have you heard any of the recent news from around here?”

Kaito looked a bit confused for a second but quickly recovered and returned to his look of enthusiasm. “Yeah! Is this about my sidekick solving some big case and arresting an evil secret society? I was so proud of Shuichi. But what does that have to do with now?”

Maki gulped. Now it was time for the reveal. She knew he would be happy. He always hated her job as an assassin and must have known the danger it posed to a successful marriage. But she was still nervous nonetheless. “Well, that society was my assassination cult. We and some friends got them arrested and now I am free from them.”

Before she knew it, Maki was being smothered in a lock so strong that she was unable to move a muscle. If it were anyone else, she would assume they were trying to crush her to death. But from Kaito, she could feel an intense and comforting warmth. It really felt as if the weight of the world had been completely lifted from her shoulders.

“That’s incredible Maki roll! You are finally free. How does it feel to now be able to do whatever you want?”

His response very much caught Maki off-guard. She knew he would be happy but something about the way he phrased it felt odd.

“Yeah, it is great. I assumed you would prefer I leave the job before the wedding so I settled the situation as soon as I could.” Maki was relieved to be saying all of this. Despite knowing this information for months now, saying it to him felt unexpectedly therapeutic.

“What are you talking about Maki roll? You didn’t need to leave the job. I mean, I am thrilled that you escaped those bastards that hurt you but I would have no problem marrying an assassin.”

That was it. That was why his earlier response had surprised her. She had started the whole plan because she worried that her job would end up hurting Kaito. He was the reason she finally fought back. But now, he was thinking completely about her happiness, not his own. Her heart was beating fast and she could feel her cheeks burning. She was sure of it; this feeling was true love.

“Thank you, Kaito.”

“Huh, for w…”

She cut him off mid-sentence by pulling him into a deep kiss. They only stayed like that for a few seconds but, to them, it felt like a blissful eternity. When they broke apart, Maki finished her thought.

“Thank you for never giving up on me.”

As naturally as breathing, Kaito’s heroic smile formed on his face. “Of course! What kind of hero would I be if I did not take care of my partner? Now let’s go back to my apartment and eat something, I am starving.”

Maki rolled her eyes after the comment about his stomach, but she was not in the position nor mood to make any snappy remarks right now. Instead, she just nodded and led him to her car. They both got inside and hit the road.

The Sun was setting now but its dimming light still shone brightly before them. Maki knew this next step in her life would include problems that she has never faced before. Yet, now they all felt surmountable to her. And even if they weren’t, she would not face them alone. With one more glance to her partner in the seat next to her, she gazed forward and drove off.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first time ever writing a fic. I had this one in my head for years now so I decided to finally put it into writing. I am going to write more fics in the future for Danganronpa. I will read any suggestions or requests but know I will only write a fic that I want to write. With all that said, I probably will write something for Saimatsu month. Probably won't be as long as this but I'll try. Hope you all enjoyed.


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